[JDEV] Rich Text in Messages

[Michael F Lin]

Todd,

When you start talking about doubling and tripling the size of a message,
you are really just talking about a bandwidth issue. There should be
nothing inherent in the Jabber server that hinders it from processing a 300
byte message as opposed to a 150 byte message. To send a 300 byte message
should not require any database queries or other costly operations that
sending a 150 byte message would not require. So, it is just the bandwidth
of the servers' network connection, the server hardware, and the link with
the multiplexers that is at issue. The increased load on clients themselves
is negligible for such short messages.

It sounds like my proposal for an extension to jabber:iq:version has
serious issues concerning resources and offline messages that I did not
anticipate. And it sounds like sending the message in two formats cleanly
renders these issues irrelevant. This is a solution proposed in the JPG,
and it's fully backwards compatible with older client software.

I therefore propose this anthithesis to your scenario: How feasible is it
to seriously detract from user experience, just because we weren't willing
to spend another couple bucks on bandwidth? I'm sure I'm going to get
plenty of disagreement here, but I am totally focused on the user - I
believe that's how great software gets made. Bandwidth problems can be
solved with money, but deterring users because we compromised features to
pinch pennies can cause permanent and irreparable damage to your mindshare.

If we hash out a workable solution for feature negotiation, I will of
course implement that in a heartbeat. Until then, my product will send its
messages in two formats.

(Embedded image moved to file: pic15702.gif)

-----------
Mike Lin
IBM Extreme Blue Software Intern
mflin at us.ibm.com

Todd Bradley <TBradley at jabber.com>@jabber.org on 12/11/2000 10:18:28 AM

Please respond to jdev at jabber.org

Sent by:  jdev-admin at jabber.org


To:   "'jdev at jabber.org '" <jdev at jabber.org>
cc:
Subject:  RE: [JDEV] Rich Text in Messages



> For your day-to-day Jabber chats I don't think sending two
> versions of the
> message is a huge problem, even on 19.2kbps wireless connections.
> I do accept that it is not the most efficient way to go about this,
> however,

That's for sure.  It's not very future-friendly.  What happens
when FTML (FooTextMarkupLanguage) becomes the rage next year?
Will clients then send ASCII, XHMTL, and FTML messages, all
three, in hopes at least one can be understood by the client
on the other end?

Also, you're only considering the client's issues.  Consider
the Jabber servers processing IBM's employee-to-employee and
employee-to-customer traffic.  Let's say that'll be 10,000,000
message per day in 2002, a farm of 20 quad processor servers.
How feasible will it be to double (or triple) the size of those
Jabber messages, just so your users can send bold text?



Todd.

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